Insignia VXR at the 'ring

The new four-wheel-drive Vauxhall Insignia VXR has been setting some extremely swift times at the Nurburgring, according to Vauxhall insiders.

With 300bhp on offer from GM’s familiar 2.7-litre V6 engine, the fastest Insignia’s already beaten the 8mins 35secs benchmark Nurburgring lap time set by its smaller Astra VXR sibling.

This Vectra-replacing model shares a torque-splitting electronic differential with the Saab 9-3 Turbo X, helping it to put power down on the road and dialling out the ragged character of its two-wheel-drive predecessor.

As the hardest Insignia, the VXR will get much beefier looks than the current range-topper – the all-wheel-drive Insignia that’s on display at the London motor show.

Well-placed GM sources reveal that the VXR’s looks will be based around the original GTC concept car. We should expect the high-performance Insignia VXR to reach showrooms late next year.

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Are you sure this is a Vauxhall and not a Mazda, christ this car is bland and very japanese looking. The side view from the centre of the roof to the edge of the boot lid is a straight line and the front half is similar, it reminds me of an old Nissan Primera 5-dr hatch. The grille looks like an after thought too and makes the Rover 800 add-on grille seem good LOL.

It always amazes me how people get paid lots of money to create cxxp styling like this.

That's disrespectful and unfair to Mazda. The RX-8, MX-5, 6, 3, 2 are all very good looking cars. Especially the 6, since we are talking about big saloons, is up there with the 159 and much better looking than the BMW 3, Audi A4, Vauxhal Insignia and especially the bland Mondeo.

All that brouhaha about how lovely this thing looked when the first few press images appeared. How graceful! How amazing! Was it really a Vauxhall?

Of course, real world photos tell a different story. I couldn't help thinking how numb the car looked when friends emailed snaps back from the motor show, the rear being the worst place to stand - all strange and drooping, like a melted 90s Laguna mixed with something Hyundai might slap on the arse of one of their faux 'sports cars'.

Strict pedestrian safety regulations mean every new car looks like a Mazda :)

I saw the Insignia at this year's motor show and i have to say that, despite having Japanese-influenced styling, it is one good looking car, better looking than the Mondeo, 3-Series, A4, Laguna, C5 and nearly every other car in this class. Even if it looks Japanese, does this suddenly mean that it can't be good looking? Look at the Lexus IS and Mazda 6 for example. Bother are undeniably Japanese in their origin but both look fab in my eyes.

As for the Vauxhall's lap time. It may be fast but it doesn't mean that its great dynamically. I hope it is, but judging on GM's past performance i'll be surprised if this car has a better chassis than the brilliant Mondeo.